News and citizen. [volume] (Morrisville, Vt. ;) 1881-current, 1887-10-06
WINNING A WIFE.
JEFF DAVIS TRUE LOVE STORY.
Uncle George Green's Story of the
Way the Young Lieutenant Won
His Bride.


Did [ know Jeff Davis? Well l shout,
always rather think of him then. H
was dashing young officer, as [ kney
him, inclined to be overbearing il
his ways, never deigning to lool
at those he thought beneath hin
III social position or rank. He wa!
a gallant lover, and it was no wondel
that the beautiful daughter of Col
Taylor fell in love with him here Sh(
was a romantic Young creature, as [ re
/ member her, uud was the one brigham
refining influences thrown around the
rough camp life. o, yes, she worship
. ped young Davis But her father, grin
cid warrior that he was, could not tOler
ate jeff Davis, and when he saw thai
| his daughter was continually unhappy
unless in the company of the young Of
ticer, he determined on separating them
and accordingly sent his daughter from
| Fort Crawford, Wis, where he was
stationed, to conventi III Baton Rouge
His dislike of Davis grew into posi-
| tive hatred, and much unplcasantness
was the result.
''In few days after the departure OF
the daughter, Davis presented him with
document which required his sigma
tIlre. 1t was an order from Gen.
Wayne granting Il furlough to Davis.
The wary old Col. saw through the ruse
in moment, and ut first refused to
sign the order, but could not we'll persist
III this insub0rdination or he would
be guilty Of contempt. The order hal
come from his superior officer, and he
must sign it, and, with black scowl on
his face, he affixed his signature to the
off ii i lA.,-,,,o.,I leg
for thirty days, and he lost no time in
fastening to Baton Rouge to join his
sweetheart. Col. Taylor was a man of
great determination, as he afterward
showed in the Mexican war and in the
Presidential chair He despatched his
swiftest messengers to BRING his daugh-
ter home by circuitous route and thus
thwart the young officer who was hlIr-
rying to meet her THE girl was
brought back to the parental roof, and,
after spending the greater part Of his
furlough III st. Louis, Davis returned
to Fort Crawford Old Col. Taylor
could fight the Indians, and would
rather have met whole tribe than CON
tend with the domestic troubles that
now assailed him. He had built log
house just on side the stockade, and here
his fair daughter strained her beautiful
eyes as she watched the surface of the
river for the coming of her lover At
ter the return of Davis to Fort Crawford
the coidness which hitherto existed be-
tween himself AMI Col. Taylor grew
more frigid, The young woman pined
away il the seclusiOn of the log
hut, and the young officer bided his
time when he might take his intended
from her fathers roof stealthily. and in
the night. The father knew the charac-
ter Of the man he had to deal with. and
watched his daughter closely. Now, it
has been disputed that jeff Davis took
hIs Foung woman FROM re'Ts~ ~fsstllt.r's 5
housa in the night, but [ am ready to
tell what L know and stand by it.
'You see it happened this way: Ny
name is George Green, and I am 80
years old if live until next November.
1t was about 1884, or near that time.
when I, with number of others, went
ND the Mississippi River ona steamer to
visit the Falls of St. Anthony. We left
the steamer where st. Paul now is, and
went over to the Falls, remaining SO long
that when we returned the boat was
gone. Nothing remained for us to do
but to buy large canoe from the In
dians, which we did, aud fOated down
the river to Fort Crawford. At that
time there was a slough separating the
few houses which constituted the village
from the trading post and the fort on the
bank of the river. | thought | might
make some money by using the canoe as
a ferryboat across this slough, and L
bought out the interest o. my partners.
I accordingly established my ferry, and
Jeff Davis was one of my patrons.
1 did not like his pOmpOus ways, for
when he paid his passage he always
threw the money into my hand as though
he was throwing money to Il beggar.
One day he came to me and asked me 1t
[ could safely row two persons across
the river, and [ replied that [ could.
Shortly after he came again and seemed
to be somewhat excited as he asked me
to be on hand that evening with my
canoe. He was more gracious i'll his
manner, and gave me some money us n
guarantee Of good faith. | did not knOHb-
that I was to be party to an elopement
or | might have objected to doing II
wrong action against Col. Taylor, TO?
whom l had the highest regard. 1t
came about, however, that [ was at the
waited patiently for the young officer.
''Ihad waited some time when heard
footsteps, and turning, | SAN JEFF Davis
and Col. Tavlors daughter hurrying to-
ward me. Not word was spoken as he
lifted her tenderly to Il seat i'll the canoe,
and / followed, taking up my paddle.
We went down the slough to where it
joined the river. The young woman
began to cry softly as we swept into the
stream, and JEFF drew her head over on
his shoulder rs he spoke to her i'll
soothing voice. Across the river We
drifted, and the sound of my paddle
could not be heard q iurlong away. Not
loud word was spoken i'll that silent
voyage, and [ was NJ loss to under
stand the whole affair. We kept on
across the river, and every few moments
[ took occasion to glance around to see
how my passengers We're getting along.
The girl had ceased her crying, and by
the way she rested her head on the bos-
ON OF the young Lieutenant | somehow
became convinced that she was no. alto
gethcr unhappy. We landed on the OPP
posite shore below the island, ana I
waited with some interest to see what
would happen naXt Presently [ saw
three mon emerge from the thick under
brush some distance from the river
bank, and Jeff Davis put some money IN
my hand and told me to return. ]
learned afterward that one of these three
men who came up on the river bank was
q priest, but / never found out who the
others were, and neither did [ ascertain
the name of the priest. Before | had
reached the place in the slough where
mOOred my canoe | heard the noise OF II
river steamer coming down from st.
Paul. She halted below tn island IN
the midi of the stream, fDr dlstlncs-
ly heard tie engines reve"sn and knew
that jeff Davis and his brid We're about
to pass down the Mississippi to the
South. TIL next day ] watche closely
for glimpse44f Col. Taylor, but the Old
soldier was to- cir rmmSp : III his e
tions to bctrny any anxiety. | was III
formed that Davis took tha young wo-
man from an upper window IN the log
cabin, and with the ass;s5an,a OF the
chaplain WIS enable t. g. har bayonI
the picket lines unoblnrvcd. Their
was no doubt that the chaplain was on
the other side of the river to witness tn"
marriage, and thai he conveyed to Col.
Tavlor the news of the c,o1 hment.
81 was away from ForS Crlwfosl for
some time after this episode, and heard
no more about it, It is, however, a
matter of history that Col. Taylor was
never wholly royJu 'iit.t t. the marriage.
1t is stated that after the battle OF Bucna
Vista Tavlor visited jeff Davis rs he lay